Worth the Sacrifice
by KatonRyu
Summary: A fairy boy and a farmgirl. When Hyrule is covered in darkness, what will happen between them? LinkxMalon Rated T for occasional swearing.
1. Fairy Boy

**Worth the Sacrifice**

_Hyrule. A peaceful land ruled by a fair King. __Or at least, that's how it used to be. For some time now, Darkness has been stirring and the peace and quiet have been disturbed by a strange Evil that's been showing up in various places. Although it is not yet apparent, soon everything will change in this beautiful land. The main catalysts of these changes however, have been blissfully unaware until it was their time to find out. And now, that time has finally come..._

**Chapter 1: Fairy Boy**

Link stood in the bright sunlight and looked around in awe. This was his first time out of the forest and he was determined to see as many things as possible while he was on his quest to reach Princess Zelda. He started walking and turned to the fairy flying next to him.

"So how far is it to Hyrule Castle?" he asked.

"It shouldn't be too far...I guess a couple of hours walking," Navi answered.

Link sighed and started to walk. While he was glad to be out of the forest, he didn't enjoy walking all that much and decided that if he found another way of transportation he'd take it. For now, though, he'd have to put up with walking. He had never walked this much in his entire life. The Kokiri Forest wasn't all that big and now he basically had to walk to the other side of the country.

After about two hours of walking Link noticed a ranch. He wondered why a ranch would be here in the middle of nowhere, so he asked Navi.

"I'm not sure...I believe this ranch is at the center of Hyrule Field, so I guess we're about halfway to the castle. We're making good progress."

Link sighed. He had enough of walking already and now it appeared he had to go on for two more hours. He started walking again and contemplated his situation. Three days ago, Navi had first come to him and told him the Great Deku Tree needed his assistance. So Link, who had been plagued by nightmares since several days before that, had grabbed the hidden Kokiri Sword, bought a shield and rushed to the Great Deku Tree to free it of its curse.

After staying in the Tree for nearly three days he had managed to break the curse, and it was then the great Deku Tree had told him to find Princess Zelda and stop the evil man from the desert who had cursed the Deku Tree.

Two more hours later, he finally reached the city gates and entered the Market. There were so many people there that Link was stunned at first.

Navi, too, seemed impressed. "Look at all these people," she whispered.

"Yeah...I never knew so little room could contain so many people," Link muttered back.

He started to move forward and forced himself through the immense crowd that was blocking his path. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the other side of the market.

"Damn, I could hardly breathe in there," Link muttered as he stood, panting, now at the correct side of the wall of people he had just pushed through.

"Really? I had no trouble at all," Navi said, her voice playful.

Link shot her a semi-angry look and said, "Next time you make a remark like that I'm going to bottle you, you hear me?"

Navi chuckled and flew up a bit. "Too bad you're so short, then," she said.

Link tried to come up with a nasty comeback, but when he couldn't think of something he just said, "I'll get you sometime..."

"Yeah right. And that's the guy who has the most important task in Hyrule. Godesses help us," Navi mocked.

Link ignored her and walked towards the gate of the Market, which led to the Castle. As he approached, he noticed a girl about his age standing there, looking bored and slightly annoyed. Relieved to see someone of his own age, Link approached her.

The girl noticed him and said, "Hi. Are you going to the Castle?"

Link nodded, but Navi spoke before he could. "We're going to see Princess Zelda. It's about some man from the desert."

The girl looked at Navi and her eyes widened.

She looked back at Link said, "Wow, are you a fairy boy from the forest? I've never met one before! My name's Malon, by the way."

Link shot a glance at Navi, who shrugged by flying up and down a little. "My name's Link, and yeah, I'm from the forest. That's Navi," he added and pointed at her. "So, what are you doing here? Are you going to the Castle as well?" Link asked.

Malon shook her head and looked annoyed again. "I'm here with my dad. He's delivering milk at the Castle but he hasn't come back yet. I guess he fell asleep again," she said and rolled her eyes.

Link stared at her and said, "He falls asleep _while_ making a delivery? I can't imagine that."

Malon sighed and glanced at the clock on the tower of the Temple of Time. "I've been here since noon. My dad's been in there for about four hours, do you really think it'd take him four hours to deliver a few crates of milk?" She shook her head again and this time Link noticed the way the sunlight reflected off her cherry-colored hair. "I'm sure he just fell asleep somewhere; he does that all the time. Hey, if you happen to see him can you wake him up for me, please? I'd like to get back home before dark," Malon said, looking at Link almost pleadingly.

Link nodded and said, "Sure. Why don't you just come with me?"

Malon tilted her head and said, "You've never been here before, have you? Kids aren't allowed to go in without anyone accompanying them and my dad told me to wait here. Come to think of it, they won't let you in either. How are you ever going to get in there?"

Link thought for a moment and grinned. "I'll find a way. You can at least come with me to the gate, right?" he said, and gave Malon a wink.

She smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess that won't be a problem."

The two of them walked up the hill toward the gates.

Link approached the guard and said, "I have to see Princess Zelda, let me in."

The guard looked at him and laughed. "Sure kid. I'll let you in when you're old enough to drink, alright? Beat it."

Link scowled and walked back to Malon, who had stayed behind.

"I told you you wouldn't get in," she said, sounding slightly smug.

Link shrugged. "Hey, it was worth a try, right? I'll just sneak in some other way."

Malon looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "You're going to sneak into the best-guarded place of Hyrule? You're nuts!" she exclaimed.

Link grinned at her and looked around. His grin widened and Malon looked in the same direction as Link. She frowned. She didn't see anything but a bunch of vines, but Link was already making his way there.

"See, I knew there'd be a way in," Link said smugly.

"You're not telling me you're actually going to climb these vines, are you?" Malon said, but she already knew the answer.

"Why not? It's not like I'm too heavy for them."

Malon sighed and said, "Well, good luck, fairy boy. Don't forget to wake my dad up, okay?"

"I won't. See ya later!" With that, he started to climb the vines.

Within seconds he was on top of the ledge that would allow him to bypass the gate.

Malon watched him as he snuck closer to the gate and moved out of sight so he wouldn't get caught. She wondered how long it would take for Link to get busted, and soon she had her answer when she heard shouting and cursing from behind the gate.

She looked around the corner and saw a guard approaching, who was dragging Link along.

"Scram, kid. Brats like you aren't allowed in here so get lost!"

The guard tossed Link out of the gate and closed it.

After a last, mocking glance he turned back and resumed on his route. The guard at the gate looked at Link in amusement. "You really don't know when to give up, huh?" he asked, shaking his head.

Link got to his feet, shot a furious glance at the guard and walked back over to Malon.

"Let me guess. You screwed up?" she asked innocently.

Link sighed. "Yeah, I slipped and rolled down the slope practically into that guard. This time I'll do it though."

"I'm sure you will. Again, good luck," Malon said with a wink.

Link started climbing again. When he reached the point where he'd lost his balance before he became extra careful.

"Link, what are you going to do? Even if you elude the guards the main entrance will still be closed," Navi whispered.

"I'll find a side entrance or something. There's always a way," Link replied tersely.

He crept on, making sure to avoid the guards, and eventually he reached the moat.

He sighed and muttered, "Well, time for a swim I guess..."

He swam with the current to the side of the castle and climbed out, being extra careful of the guards. But this side of the castle could only be reached by the main path as it was fenced on one side, and the guards didn't bother to patrol here. Clearly, they weren't used to having someone swim through the moat.

The only living being here was a rather large man with a ponytail, who lay sleeping on the ground. Link suspected that this was Malon's dad. He walked over to the man and poked him to see if he would wake up. When nothing happened he turned to Navi.

"Any ideas on waking this guy up?" he asked.

Navi thought for a moment and said, "Try making him sneeze with a blade of grass or something."

Link grinned evilly and pulled a blade of grass from behind the fence. He started poking around the man's nose with it and it had effect almost immediately. He sneezed with such force that Link was nearly blown back and sat up.

"What the...Oh man, I must have fallen asleep," the guy said.

Then his eyes met Link's. "Hey there young fella. Are you the one who woke me up?" he asked.

Link nodded. "I assume you're Malon's father? She's been waiting for you," he said.

The man paled. "Oh by the Godessess, I'm going to get it from her now...thanks for waking me up, though. My name is Talon. I'm the owner of the Lon Lon Ranch, you may have come across it on your way here."

Link nodded. "Yeah, I've seen it."

Talon got up and dusted himself off. "Well, I'd better get back to Malon. Knowing her, she's going to scold me the entire way home."

Link chuckled. "Yeah, well, try not to fall asleep if you want to prevent that," he said.

Talon winced. "I guess you're right...Well, be sure to visit our ranch when you're done here. I have to go now before Malon really freaks out. See ya!"

With that, he dashed off at an amazing speed and Link stared after him shaking his head.

"Well...now to find a way in..." He looked around but didn't immediately see anything that could get him into the courtyard.

"Link, look!" Navi said.

"That water opening there! Maybe you could crawl through there."

Link scrutinized it and his eyes lit up. "Navi, even though you're really annoying sometimes it's good to have you around. Let's go!" Link backed up a few steps and took a running jump, just making it to the ledge. He crawled through and wondered how many guards there would be on the other side.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Malon lay back in the hay and sighed. She had just finished feeding all the animals on the ranch and that meant her chores for the day were done. It had been a couple of days since she'd met the fairy boy Link at the Market, and she hadn't heard from him since. Somehow, she had hoped that he'd come to visit the ranch but apparently his meet up with Zelda prevented him from doing so. Or maybe he was still trying to get to her.

Malon smiled at the thought of Link still crawling around the castle looking for a way to get inside. Her smile disappeared when she considered the last option, that Link had simply forgotten about her. She didn't even really know why it mattered to her, but the fact that it did pissed her off. She got up and walked outside.

The sun was already getting low in the sky, and soon twilight would come. She walked into the horse pen and sang the song her mother had taught her. As usual, Epona came running to her as soon as she started singing.

She petted the mare and sang some more, until she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, you sing pretty well."

Epona ran away and Malon turned to face Link, who was leaning on the fence of the horse pen.

"Link! How long have you been there?" she asked.

"I got here just now. Sorry I didn't visit you any earlier, but Zelda practically ordered me to climb Death Mountain and retrieve the Spiritual Stone there," he said.

Malon noticed that there were small burns and cuts on his arms, and that his tunic was blackened in several places as well. Lastly she saw the golden bracelet Link now wore on his left wrist, decorated with the Goron Tribe symbol carved from ruby.

"You look like you've been tossed into a volcano," Malon remarked as she walked closer to Link.

Link smiled a little and said, "Well, that about sums it up, I guess. Man, those Dodongos are a serious pain in the ass with their fire breath."

Malon shook her head. "Why did you even have to get that Spiritual Stone?" she asked.

Link climbed over the fence and gestured that Malon should sit down. When she sat, Link sat down as well and told her the entire story about the man from the desert, whose name was Ganondorf, and the Spiritual Stones.

"I know it all sounds weird to hunt after these stones for a mere dream, but I know Ganondorf is evil. I've seen him in my dreams before I even met him," Link finished his story.

Malon had listened in awe and now she shook her head to clear it and said, "But there's another Spiritual Stone right? Don't you have to retrieve that one as well?"

Link nodded and looked at her sideways. "Yeah, but I wanted to visit you guys before I go and look for it. I promised Talon I'd drop by, after all. Besides, I..." he didn't finish his sentence but instead turned red a little. "Uhm, forget I said that," he said, grinning sheepsihly.

Malon looked at Link in surprise. Why would he be acting like that? She decided not to go into it any further and said, "Well, I think dad wouldn't mind if you stayed here tonight. After all, it sucks to be out when the Stalchildren show up."

Link nodded and said, "You got that right, I hate those skeleton freaks. It would be very cool if your dad allowed me to stay here for now. Tomorrow I'll be off to Zora's Domain, since that's where the last Stone is."

Malon stood up and pulled Link up as well. "Let's try to find dad, then. I'm sure it'll be fine."

They went into the main ranch building, where Talon was busy preparing dinner. "Dad, Link is here on a break from his work for Princess Zelda, can he stay here for the night?" Malon asked.

Talon turned around and greeted Link. Then he said, "Sure, I don't see why not. I hope you don't mind sleeping in the hayloft, though."

Link shook his head. "Of course not. I've slept in places you can't even imagine, a hayloft's like a five-star inn to me," he said.

"It'll be good to have a normal place to sleep again for once," Navi chimed in. She'd been so quiet earlier that Malon had practically forgotten she was there.

"Alright then. Well, dinner'll be done in a few minutes so if you two can go and get Ingo I'll set the table," Talon said.

Malon nodded and pulled Link with her as she walked out of the kitchen.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be a problem," she said.

Link looked at her in confusion. "When did I ever say it was going to be a problem?" he asked.

"Never mind. Okay, let's find Ingo," Malon said.

Link looked at her apologetically. "Uhm, who's Ingo? I haven't met him yet," he said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Ingo's the farmhand. He should be in the barn, I believe," Malon said, thinking.

They walked over to the barn, where they indeed found Ingo, a thin man with a huge moustache. He seemed like a decent guy to Link, if somewhat bad-mooded. When they were at the dinner table table, Talon asked what Link had been doing at the castle, so Link told the story again, but he left out the details about Ganondorf and the dreams. Malon thought it was odd at first, but then she shrugged it off and figured that Link didn't feel like telling everything again.

After dinner Link and Malon helped with getting the horses back into their stables. Epona evaded everyone though. Malon smiled a little and said, "She's scared of you, Link. Normally she comes to me immediately."

Link looked surprised. "Why would she be scared? I never hurt animals, I love them," he said.

"Epona's just a bit shy. She'll come if I sing my mother's song though. That's what I was singing earlier. Want to sing along?" Malon asked.

Link replied, "I sing like an old crow, but I can play along on my ocarina, I guess."

Malon shrugged. "I guess that'll work too."

She started singing and soon Link was playing along with her on the ocarina he'd gotten from Saria. The tones of the music worked their magic on Epona, and soon she stood next to Link and Malon.

Malon smiled broadly. "See, she isn't afraid of you anymore, fairy boy," she said.

Link grimaced slightly when she used his nickname again. "Why do you call me fairy boy anyway?" he asked.

Malon smiled at him. "It sounds cute," she said with a wink. Link pretended to gag and Malon laughed.

Talon approached them. "Alright you two, I'd get to bed if I were you. If you want to reach Zora's Domain in any shape at all you need to be well rested. The road leading there's a watery hell," he said, looking at Link. Link nodded and glanced at Malon.

"I'll be sure to wake you up if I leave early," he said jokingly.

Malon smirked at him. "Do you really think you'll be earlier than me? We'll see, fairy boy."

Fifteen minutes later, everything was quiet at the ranch.

"Feels good to have a safe sleeping spot, huh?" Navi said as she curled up inside Link's hat.

"Yeah, finally some rest from those annoying Stalchildren," Link agreed. He turned to his side and tried to get some sleep, but five minutes later he heard the barndoor open. He sat up and his hand shot to his sword. He almost drew it until he heard Malon's voice.

"Relax, it's me," she said as she climbed up the ladder to the hayloft.

"Didn't your dad protest when you snuck out?" Link asked.

Malon huffed and said, "We're talking about my dad here. He'd sleep through a thunderstorm. Ingo doesn't care either way, so no trouble from him either."

Link chuckled. "Alright then. So, what's up?" he said, lying down again.

Malon sighed. "I just wanted to talk to you some more before you leave again. Your quest might take a long time so this'll be the last chance for now," she said, crawling over and lying down next to Link. Link turned his head to look into her eyes.

"So is there anything in particular you'd like to talk about? I mean, I've told you everything I did already," he said.

Malon was silent for a few moments before responding. "Well...I was wondering what the Spiritual Stones look like. I've never seen one before, so..."

Link dug in his pocket and retrieved the two Spiritual Stones he had collected so far: the Kokiri Emerald and the Goron's Ruby. Malon looked at them in amazement, her face lit by the glow that emanated from them.

Link put them back into his pocket and said, "The last one is the Spiritual Stone of Water, called the Zora's Sapphire. I'm not looking forward to retrieving it at all. I didn't like Death Mountain and I have a feeling I won't like this one either. Also, while I sort of knew about Gorons I've never seen a Zora before. I heard they're fish people, but that's all I know."

Malon sighed. "I don't know much about them either. They prefer to stay well away from Hylians, contrary to the Gorons. I've heard they're not bad, though, if somewhat strange."

For a while the two of them just lay there, saying nothing. Navi had already been fast asleep before Malon had even entered. "Link...you'll stop by to show me the final Stone before you head over to the Castle again, right?" Malon asked.

Link looked at her and said, "Sure. You'll be the first to see all stones together. Well except for me but I don't count in this case."

Malon smiled brightly and got up. "Well, then I'll be going to my bed now. While I'm usually the one scolding dad he can be pretty stern too, and if he'd discover that I'm not in my bed because I fell asleep here with you..."

She didn't finish, but Link got the point.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow," Link said.

"Count on it!" With that, Malon climbed down the ladder and snuck back into the house. Link turned back on his side, and this time he managed to fall asleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Hey, are you almost done daydreaming?"

The sound of Talon's voice caused Malon to snap out of her dreamyness.

"Uhm yeah, I'll be down in a minute!" she yelled back.

She had been up in her room, staring out of the window while contemplating the relative silence on the ranch. Link had left two days before, headed to Zora's Domain to retrieve the last Spiritual Stone for Princess Zelda.

Malon couldn't help but wonder why Zelda would need the Stones to stop this Ganondorf person, but she decided not to try and figure those kinds of things out. She stood up and walked downstairs. She'd help Talon and Ingo clean the stables and then she just had to feed the animals and later help with getting the horses into their stables.

She hoped that Link would be back soon, but still she didn't really know why. When he had suddenly turned up at the ranch she'd been happy he remembered her, but she didn't like it that he had to leave again so soon. And to do the bidding of someone he hardly knows, she thought with an anger that even surprised herself. Why was she angry at Zelda? It wasn't as if she had ever done something to her; hell, Malon had never even met her. In fact if Zelda hadn't been there, she wouldn't have met Link in the first place.

She sighed and started to clean the stables. At least the work kept her mind off Link for a while. But that night, when she was in her bed, she couldn't help but think of him again and wonder if he was okay. And still she didn't know why she even thought about him so much.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

With a roar of anger, Link swung his Deku Stick and smashed against the Biri that floated before him. The electric jellyfish disintegrated under the impact but the force of the blow broke Link's stick as well.

"Damn, that's about the twentieth stick I broke against those damn jellyfish," he said angrily.

"Why don't you just use your boomerang? It kills those Biri quite well, you know," Navi said, flying out of her hiding place in Link's hair.

Link sighed. "I know, but this one surprised me. I didn't have time to grab that damn thing and no way am I going to get myself zapped again," he said, looking around to see if there were any more Biri.

"I guess you're right. So just keep the boomerang ready just in case," Navi said.

Link nodded and dug up the boomerang. He had found it somewhere inside the gigantic fish he was still standing in and by this point he wasn't even surprised anymore whenever he saw another crate or something like it lodged in the fish's gut somewhere. He was, however, profoundly tired of the putrid fish smell around him and the attitude of the Zora princess, Ruto. Ruto had been sucked into Jabu-Jabu and Link had carried her around because she was too much of a bitch to walk.

Just a few minutes ago she'd been basically sucked up together with the last Spiritual Stone and a giant Octorok had attaced Link. He had killed it and now he was about the enter the room where Ruto should be. He didn't even care about the fact that were doors in this fish and rooms filled with absolutely nothing. He spotted some weird tentacle-like attachment to the 'ceiling' of the room he was in and tossed his boomerang at it. Link knew that hitting this thing would cause the door at the other side of the room to open, and despite his anger he wondered why hitting a tentacle would open a door.

The boomerang hit its mark and the door slid open. Link went through and faced the largest parasite he'd ever seen, the bio-electric anemone Barinade. He snorted in disgust and made short work of it, only to be reunited with Ruto shortly after.

When they were both out of the fish and in the cold water surrounding it, Ruto said, "Since you saved me from that thing, I'll give you a reward. What would you like?"

Link, who was wet, tired and covered in fish juice, was in no mood to be polite and said, "I want your Spiritual Stone."

Ruto frowned. "But it's my mother's keepsake...she said I should only give it to the man who will be my husband."

Link really wanted to slap her right then, even though he knew it was unreasonable of him. "Look, Zelda wants me to get her that damn Stone and I want to get it over with, so just give it to me," he snapped.

Ruto looked troubled, but then she said, "Alright. I'll be your fiancee from now on, so here's the Stone, Zora's Sapphire."

She handed Link the Stone and and after hastily thanking Ruto he hurried back. He was glad to be gone from Zora's Domain and back on dry land. As he looked at the sky, he knew he would never reach Malon's ranch before dark. He checked himself as he had the thought. Why had he called it Malon's ranch? It was called the Lon Lon Ranch and Talon was the owner, so why did he only think of Malon whenever he thought of the ranch? Was it because he knew her better than Talon or Ingo? Maybe, but still...

Navi had apparently noticed that there was something on Link's mind, because she said, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Link snapped out of his thoughts and put on a fake smile for Navi. "No, I'm fine. Just a bit tired from Jabu-Jabu, I guess. I'll be glad to get back to the ranch."

Navi wasn't so easily fooled however. She had seen the way Link's eyes seemed to focus on something far off as he mentioned the ranch. "And there isn't anyone in particular you'd like to see there?" she inquired.

Link looked at her for a long time. "No, why?" he finally said.

Navi sighed and said, "Well, I guess we should just try to get as far as we can before the Stalchildren show up and we have to make camp."

Link nodded and they started moving again. As soon as the sun had dropped beneath the western mountains, the ground in front of Link cracked and the Stalchildren dug their way out, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark. Link sighed and drew his sword. This would be a long night.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It was late in the morning when Link and Navi arrived at the Lon Lon Ranch. Malon was just feeding the animals when Link entered the barn.

"Guess who's back," he said casually.

Malon turned around and scrutinized Link for any new injuries. Then she sniffed the air around him and recoiled. "Oh my Godessess Link, what is that horrible stench of rotten fish? What the hell have you been doing?" she asked, pinching her nose.

Link smiled apologetically and said, "I went fishing. Inside the biggest fish in Hyrule."

Malon shook her head in disgust. "You smell like...like...well, something extremely foul."

She grabbed Link's arm and dragged him with her. "Hey! Malon! Where the hell are you taking me?!" Link yelled in surprise.

"I'm taking you to the bath, fairy boy," she said, reverting to using her nickname for him. "I don't even want to hear your story before you've been thoroughly cleaned, you hear me?" she went on.

Link didn't respond. He was almost afraid of Malon now that she was acting like this. They reached the bath house and Malon pushed Link in forcefully, closed the door behind him and barred it from the outside.

"Now get in the bath and throw your clothes through the hatch!" she yelled inside.

"Uhm, okay!" Link yelled back from behind the door.

Shortly after, he shoved his clothes through the hatch next to the door and Malon could tell that even though a barred wooden door was between them Link was embarrassed.

"I'll get them cleaned up for you before you get out," Malon said.

Link didn't reply, but from the splash and the sigh of relief she heard she knew Link was in the water. Malon put Link's clothes into the washing bin and furiously turned the lever that powered it. After a few minutes, she removed the clothes from the washer and hung them out to dry. Half an hour later she collected the clothes, which were somewhat dry but not completely, and returned to the bath.

She shoved the clothes in through the hatch and said, "They're not fully dry yet, but at least they're clean now."

"Thanks!" Link said from beyond the door.

Malon removed the blockade and shortly after Link emerged from the bath, followed by Navi, who seemed a little dizzy.

"Uhm, what's wrong, Navi?" Malon asked.

"I was in Link's hat when you washed it...and I was mostly out cold when you hung me to dry," she said, sounding slightly sick.

Malon paled and made her apologies about ten thousand times, under the sound of Link's roaring laughter. Eventually Malon punched him in the face, apologized to Navi one last time and asked to see Link's new Spiritual Stone.

Link stopped rubbing his nose and retrieved the three Stones. Malon marveled at their beauty and wondered what mysterious powers were hidden within them.

She noticed that Link looked troubled now and asked, "What's wrong? I didn't hit you hard, did I?"

Link shook his head. "That's not it. It's just that I have a very bad feeling about taking these Stones to Zelda. It's as if something really big will happen and I'm not sure if it will be good or bad. Hell, for all I know she's going to send me on an even more dangerous errand next."

Malon bit her lip and said, "Well, whatever happens, you can always come here to rest up, you know. And if you do get another assignment, please let me know before you leave."

Link nodded and stared in the direction of the castle. He seemed to think for a moment and then he turned to face Malon again. "Stretch your arm," he said.

Surprised, Malon did as Link asked and raised her arm. Link removed the Goron's Bracelet from his wrist and slid it on Malon's outstretched arm.

"You can keep this for now. I have a feeling it might be a long time before I return here," Link said, smiling sadly.

Malon looked at the bracelet around her arm. "Won't you need it?" she asked.

Link shook his head. "That bracelet allowed me to pick bomb flowers on Death Mountain, but since I have real bombs now I won't be using it anymore. What's more is that only the wearer can remove it. I guess the Gorons fused it with some weird magic, but it prevented it from falling off during my travels without making it a hassle to remove it."

Malon nodded and touched the ruby sybol on the bracelet. "I'll treasure it until you come back," she promised.

Link smiled and looked into her eyes. "I hope I'll be back soon. If not...don't worry. I'll be fine," he said.

Malon looked away and said, "I hope so...well, good luck, Link...fairy boy." She smiled a little and Link smiled back.

"See you," he said.

"Bye Malon, see you soon," Navi said.

Malon looked after them as they walked to the castle and gazed at the sky. Dark clouds were packing and it seemed that over at the castle they had already congregated into a dark veil. Maybe that had been the cause of Link's bad feeling.

Malon looked until Link was nothing but a small dot at the horizon, and then she went back to work.

Two hours later, about the time Link would've reached the castle, the sky had opened up and rain was pouring down like a waterfall. Malon shot a glance in the direction of the castle, and witnessed the end of Hyrule as it had been. From the Temple of Time, just in front of the castle, a bright, white light shone. It reflected in the dark clouds and seeing it chilled Malon to the bone. She clenched her fists and felt her pulse rising. A few minutes later, the light dimmed. It was only a few more minutes later that smoke started to rise from the Market, and the flames could even be seen at this distance. They were not normal flames, but Hellfire, unleashed by the most wicked creature alive, Ganondorf.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Two days after the fall of Hyrule Castle and Market, Ganondorf's army reached the Lon Lon Ranch. A large group of Stalfos, led by a massive Iron Knuckle, marched onto the terrain. They stood at attention while Malon, Talon and Ingo stood before them, trembling. Malon saw the faint light reflect off the serpentine swords of the Stalfos. Their eyes glowed with menace and hatred. The Iron Knuckle stood perfectly still, holding its enormous axe as if it were weightless.

And then, walking calmly through the ranks of monsters, he approached. The self proclaimed Great King of Evil, Ganondorf. Malon felt that even the Stalfos were uneasy around Ganondorf, even though the reanimated skeletal warriors had no such things as feelings or emotions. Ganondorf stood taller than anyone on the ranch, and his yellow eyes, gleaming with unrelenting evil, fell upon the scared ranchfolk.

"You...you seem so pure of heart. Your lives are happy, carefree. But now, a new era will begin." Ganondorf said in his deep, dark voice. His gaze fell on Ingo. "Ingo. You, a greedy farmhand, will you serve me in return for fantastic wealth and my promise that you will live through my reign?" Ganondorf asked him.

"Y-Yes sir," Ingo said. Ganondorf smirked and raised his hand. Black energy shot into Ingo and the man sank to one knee.

"Then from now on, you are in charge of this ranch. Keep the horses in shape. And Ingo, do not let me down, or I might reconsider my generosity..." Ganondorf said. The threatening tone in his voice was unmistakable.

Without taking a look at Talon and Malon, Ganondorf turned around and walked away, followed by his army. Ingo crawled back up and turned to Malon and Talon, who had shuffeld closer together out of fear. He smiled cruelly.

"Talon, you heard King Ganondorf. I'm afraid you'll have to leave this ranch. As for you Malon, I want you here as a farmhand. You'll be doing all the chores from now on. And I will not tolerate any slacking. Now, move!" Ingo said.

Talon looked like he'd been slapped. "Ingo, what the fuck are you talking about?! I'm the one who started this ranch! You can't kick me out," he protested angrily.

Ingo smirked arrogantly. "Oh can't I? Just watch, you lazy bum." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. From the ground, a Stalfos rose. It turned and advanced on Talon.

"Now if you value your life you'll get the hell off my ranch," Ingo said.

"At least let me take Malon with me; she's too young to be here all by herself!" Talon pleaded.

Ingo shook his head mockingly. "Haven't I been clear? The girl stays here to do chores as she should. If you really want to waste your life to get her, then be my guest."

Talon looked like he was about ready to fight the Stalfos, which had halted its advance but still had its sword raised, but he decided against it. He looked at Malon with sad eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Malon...One day, you'll be free again."

Malon's eyes filled with tears and she looked at the ground. "It's not your fault, dad. Just promise me I'll see you again someday," she sobbed.

Talon nodded. "I promise...bye..." Before he could say anthing else, Ingo snapped his finger again and the Stalfos started pushing Talon with its shield.

"I'm moving already, bonehead," Talon said angrily, and he walked off.

Ingo snapped his fingers one last time and the Stalfos disintegrated. He turned to Malon, who was still crying. "Get to work, wench. It's all you're here for, anyway."

With that, Ingo turned around and went inside. Malon sighed and went to work, occasionally wiping tears out of her eyes. Later that evening, Ingo tried to take her bracelet from her. "Give it to me, wench! Such a precious artefact does not belong to someone like you," he said menacingly.

Malon held her arm behind her back and said, "I'm not giving it to you! Link gave this to me and I won't let you take it!" Ingo frowned angrily and tried to pull it from her wrist, only to find that it was held there by some magic force. "Only the wearer can remove it," Malon said. "I'll never take it off, so unless you want to cut my hand off you should just give up!" Ingo scoffed.

"Fine, keep your bracelet. It won't do you any good, though. Everyone around the Market and the Temple of Time is dead. That means your little friend as well." Malon jerked back. She had feared that Link had died, but hearing it like this still seemed to tear apart her insides. When Ingo left, Malon lay on her bed and cried. Her father was in exile somewhere, Link was dead, she had nothing left. Malon put her hand on the bracelet and thought of Link's ominous feeling. He had been right, apparently. Eventually, Malon cried herself to sleep.


	2. Hero of Time

Chapter 2: Hero of Time

**Chapter 2: Hero of Time**

Seven years had passed. Malon had not seen her father or Link in all that time and she didn't think either was alive. Day after day, she'd slaved for Ingo, but to little avail. The ranch had decayed from a green, beautiful place to a mere shell. The plants were mostly dead and the animals, with the notable exception of Epona, were gaunt and weak. Epona had been treated especially well by Ingo, even though the mare despised the former farmhand. Ingo wanted to give her to Ganondorf, since she was the best horse in all of Hyrule.

Now, on a day like all others, Malon had just finished mucking out the stables and she stood outside, gazing at the sky that had once been bright blue but was perpetually gray now. She sighed and looked at the bracelet that was still around her wrist, even after seven years. Against all hope, she'd been wishing for someone to come and crush Ganondorf so that everything could be normal again, but she knew deep inside that such a thing wouldn't happen.

She was about to walk over to the horse pen when she heard a voice behind her. It was familiar and strange at the same time.

"Hey Malon. Long time no see."

She turned around and looked into the eyes of a young man clad in green, who had a sword and shield on his back. His eyes were blue and his hair was messy and blond. Next to his head floated a fairy.

"Link? Is that really you?" Malon asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Link smiled shakily. "Yeah, it's me. It's good to see that you're okay..." he said, glancing around the ranch.

Malon stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I thought you were dead! What happened to you?"

Link hugged Malon back awkwardly and sighed. "I've been sealed in the Temple of Time for seven years. I heard what happened here from a Sage named Rauru. As soon as I was out, I came here to see if you were alright," he said.

Malon looked at Link, surprised. "Why were you sealed?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

Before Link could answer, Ingo strode towards them and started to scold Malon. "What are you doing, wench?! You're not allowed to interact with the customers!" Then he turned to Link and gave him a large, fake smile. "Good day, sir. Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch. Would you like to ride one of our horses for a small fee?"

Link looked at Malon, who sighed and shook her head. "I'd like to know why you're being such an asshole to Malon," Link said bluntly.

Ingo's slimy smile became slightly smaller and he said, "This wench is only here as a farmhand, she is not worth your time."

Link shook his head. "She's worth more of my time than you are, Ingo. If you leave us alone for five minutes I'll pay a fee to ride here, okay?"

Ingo bowed and said, "As you wish. But I do not think she'll have much to say." With a warning glance at Malon, Ingo walked away.

Link stared after him and asked, "What happened here? Where is Talon?"

Malon looked away and answered, "Ganondorf gave Ingo control over the ranch. Ingo kicked my dad off and kept me here as his slave. That happened two days after you had been sealed. So why was that?"

Now it was Link's turn to look away. "I opened the door to the Sacred Realm on Zelda's orders. I removed the Master Sword from its pedestal, but because I was too young it sealed me until I was old enough to wield it. But as soon as I pulled out the sword and the Sacred Realm opened, Ganondorf entered. He...he has the Triforce."

Malon bit her lip. "So that's how he was able to take over Hyrule...His armies have destroyed everything. Link, will things ever be the way they were again?" She asked, grabbing Link's hands.

"There is a way to beat Ganondorf. Apparently if I can awaken the five Sages that are still dormant I'll have the power to defeat Ganondorf and restore peace. But to do that, I need a safe haven. A place where I can rest from my battles. I had hoped that that would be here, but even this place is tainted by evil. So first, I'm going to restore this place to the way it was."

Malon saw the fierce determination in Link's eyes as he said that, and she noticed that he still had the same aura of courage surrounding him as seven years ago.

Link marched toward Ingo and said, "I'd like to ride a horse, on the condition that I get to choose which one."

Ingo bowed again and flashed his greasy smile. "Of course, of course. Follow me, please."

Ingo led Link to the horse pen, and Malon followed the two to see what Link was going to do. Several seconds later, she heard a familiar tune coming from Link's ocarina and she softly hummed along with it. Epona, who was in the horse pen as well, immediately ran over to Link and allowed him to ride her.

Link rode around a few laps and then he rode closer to Ingo, who was gesturing wildly to get Link's attention. "My my, you're pretty skillful on that horse. How about a small race for, say, fifty rupees?" he said.

Link nodded and said, "Sure, why not?" A few minutes later, both riders stood behind a line. They'd run around the pen once, and the winner would take the fifty rupees. Ingo himself gave the starting instructions. "Three, two..." As soon as he said 'two' Ingo started racing. Link, on Epona, waited calmly for Ingo to say 'go' before dashing after him. Of course, Epona won the race easily, and Ingo said, "That was quite magnificent. So let's race again, and this time if you win, you can keep the horse."

Link smirked; this was what he had hoped for. About a minute later, Ingo was yelling and swearing in frustration. Link had beaten him again with ease. In a final attempt to stop Link, he closed the gates, but Epona jumped over it without hesitation. That caused Ingo to nearly lose his mind, and while he was ranting and raving Link stood next to Malon.

"Now, I'll destroy the evil here."

He drew the Master Sword and the blade shone in the faint sunlight. Malon's eyes widened, both at seeing the Blade of Evil's Bane and at Link's seeming bloodthirst.

"You...you're not going to kill him are you?" she asked shakily.

Link shook his head. "No, I'm just going to touch him with the flat of the blade. No evil can bear its touch, at least that's what Rauru said."

Link strode over to Ingo, who stared at him and said, "So are you going to kill me now? Are going to do what King Ganondorf will do anyway now that I lost the horse I was going to give him?"

Link stared at him hard, and raised the Master Sword. Ingo closed his eyes and sighed. Link turned the blade and tapped Ingo's forehead with the flat side.

Ingo cringed and it seemed as if the very touch of the sword burned his skin. A black shadow seemed to explode off Ingo when Link touched him with the Master Sword. Despite his seeming agony, though, Ingo quickly stood up and looked at Link and Malon.

"Wha...what happened? I know sort of, but not everything..."

He sounded dizzy, almost as if he'd just woken up from some horrible nightmare. He groaned and held his head, sinking back to his knees. Malon walked over to him and knelt beside him.

"You were under Ganondorf's control. Do you remember what happened seven years ago?" she asked.

"I...I...It's all foggy. Something about an army, and Talon facing a Stalfos..." Ingo stammered, still sounding dazed.

Malon nodded. "That's right. Look, if I were you I'd try to get some rest. There's an ice pack in the cooler if you need it. I'm sure everything will come back."

Ingo nodded, and shakily got to his feet again. He walked over to the main building, wavering like a drunk. Malon looked after him and shook her head. She turned to Link with tears of anger in her eyes.

Link stepped closer to her, not sure how to react.

"I couldn't confront him with everything he's done, not as he is now," Malon said bitterly.

Link put his hands on her shoulders and said, "You didn't have to. He'll remember everything eventually. When he does...I suspect he'll be overcome with guilt. Try to help him through, reassure him. If his guilt gets the best of him..."

Malon nodded. "I know. But...I don't think I can do this alone. And Ingo's guilt goes beyond me and the ranch. My dad and Ingo were best friends. If dad doesn't forgive him, he might still..." She didn't finish her sentence, but Link understood what she was saying just fine.

"I'll find Talon," he said.

Malon looked up, surprised by the unwavering resolve in his voice. "Link, I don't even know if he's still alive," she said.

Link looked right into her eyes, and his piercing gaze chilled Malon somewhat. It was as if Link was suddenly a different person. "I don't think Talon's dead. I don't even think he's in hiding. Yeah, he was banned from the ranch by Ingo, but he wasn't outlawed by Ganondorf. He could have gone anywhere and I doubt he'd choose a place that's likely to be demolished," Link said.

"You don't understand, the whole of Hyrule has been pillaged by Ganondorf. The land's torn apart. You've been sealed for too long, Link. The war is long over. Ganondorf is the undisputed victor," Malon said desparately.

Link huffed. "What happened to you?" he asked, staring at her intently. "I remember you as an optimistic, spirited person. Now you're an entirely different person, it seems."

Malon looked at him angrily. "Of course I've changed! Everyone has! You don't know anything, Link. You've been safely sealed inside an impenetrable fortress, shielded from all the evils of the real world. Hyrule as you know it does not exist anymore. The green fields are yellow and dead now. The blue skies are always overcast. Even the Stalchildren and Peahats have been destroyed. All that remains on the Hyrule Fields are Poes. The restless spirits of all those murdered by Ganondorf, fused into Big Poes. For seven years, _seven fucking years,_ I witnessed the decay of everything I knew and loved. How can you expect me to be optimistic?!" she yelled. She sighed angrily and turned away from Link, frustrated to the point where she'd like to throw with every fragile thing she could find.

"I'm sorry..." Link said softly. "It's just that...I don't want to think that everything I knew, all those things and people that meant so much to me, are gone. I can't accept that. I will not accept it. I swear on the Master Sword, no, on Epona, that I'll find Talon and get him back to the ranch," he said, now confident again.

Malon sighed and turned around again. "I hope you'll find him...But Link, promise me that you'll be safe," she pleaded.

Link nodded. "I promise. I'll be here as often as I can. My quest will take me all over Hyrule, so I'm certain Talon will be back here in no time at all. Now, though, I have to go. This guy named Sheik told me to head over to Kakariko Village, to obtain an item I need to enter the Temple in the Lost Woods."

Link looked pained for a second. "What's wrong?" Malon asked, concerned.

Link shook his head and sighed. "It's just that...the Lost Woods are my home. The Kokiri Forest is in fact nothing but a part of those woods. I dread to think what I will find there."

For the first time in a long while, Navi spoke up. "I wouldn't worry too much, Link. The Kokiri are small and no threat to Ganondorf. He wouldn't waste his time on them," she said.

Link didn't seem convinced, but he said, "I guess you're right."

He looked at Malon and again and said, "Well, I'll be off then. I hope I'll see you again soon."

Malon nodded sadly and sighed. "Just don't die, okay? You're the only hope Hyrule has, it seems."

Link smiled at her. "I'll be fine. Ganondorf will not stop me. Take good care of Ingo. The sooner he's well again the better. You've done all the work long enough." Malon nodded and Link climbed on Epona. He turned to Malon one last time. "I won't take Epona into the the temples with me, so she'll be fine," he said.

Malon chuckled. "Epona could hold her own against a Stalfos if need be, you know. Even if it would be stronger, she could run away." Link grinned and shrugged. He sort of saluted Malon and rode off, followed closely by Navi, who quickly yelled, "Bye!" as they rode off.

Malon smiled and shook her head. Link hadn't changed at all. But his remark about her still lingered in her thoughts. 'You're an entirely different person, it seems.' She bit her lip and shook her head to clear her mind.

"No time to worry about that now," she said out loud. "Time to see how Ingo is doing."

She walked to the main building and entered, walking directly to Ingo's bedroom. Despite him kicking Talon off the ranch and thus freeing up the master bedroom Ingo had always kept his own room. She knocked on the door and entered. Ingo lay on his bed with an ice pack on his forehead, opening his eyes when Malon entered.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, trying to suppress the thoughts of the way he had treated her the last seven years.

"Slightly less shaky than just now, I guess," he replied, his voice sounding strained.

"Has...has anything from the past come back to you?" Malon asked hesitantly, fearing Ingo's response. She was afraid that with his memory, his evil might return as well.

Ingo shifted uneasily and replied, "Yeah...I remembered the day of the attack, and the things that happened after that are returning as well...Malon...I...your father..." He fell silent, fighting with his emotions. Malon, too, felt tears burning in her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault..." Malon whispered.

Ingo snorted bitterly. In the light of the sole candle in the room, Malon saw something she'd never thought she'd see. Tears gleamed in Ingo's eyes.

"It _was_ my fault. If I hadn't been so afraid of dying, I would never have accepted Ganondorf's offer. But I was a coward, and I caused you and Talon so much trouble. For fuck's sake, Talon's my best friend and I kicked him off his ranch, and proceeded to destroy his life's work. All because I was afraid," he said angrily.

Malon shook her head forcefully. "No! If you hadn't agreed, Ganondorf would have killed you, and probably us, too. What you did may have saved us all,"she said, only partially believing her own words. A part of her, the part that kept thinking about all the horrible things Ingo had done, relished his mental torture. Frankly, Malon was starting to scare herself with this apparent bloodthirst.

"All of us? Talon is gone. I took away his whole life that day, and after seven years, what hope remains that he's still alive?" Ingo asked, a bitter tone of self-loathing in his voice.

"Link swore he would bring dad back here," Malon said. "I believe in him."

Ingo was silent for a while before replying. "I wish I could believe that Talon is still alive, but..." He shook his head and said, "Anyway, I think I'll be able to work again tomorrow. I have to restore the damage I've caused. I know I can't fix everything, but I can at least help on the ranch. I want this place to be green again."

Malon smiled and said, "Alright. I'll let you rest, then. Do you think you'll be up for dinner? Otherwise I'll leave something so you can make something later."

Ingo nodded gratefully and said, "Thanks, and I'm sorry..."

With a last glance, Malon closed Ingo's door and went outside. She walked to the horse pen and sat on the fence. With the cool breeze flowing through her hair, she thought about the day. Ingo was himself again, and Link had returned from the mists of time. For the first time in seven years, she was actually getting hope again.

Two days later, another surprise awaited her. She and Ingo had just finished thoroughly cleaning the stables, and Malon saw two horses approaching in the red light of sunset. She squinted her eyes and saw that one of the riders was Link. She couldn't make out the other figure, though, as he wore a hooded robe that hid his features. Link and the other rider rode onto the terrain of the ranch, and were greeted by Malon and Ingo. Link and the hooded figure dismounted and approached the two.

"Link! I hadn't expected you to be back so soon," Malon said.

Link grinned. "Well, I would've headed down to the Forest Temple first, if I hadn't run into this guy here." He turned to face the hooded figure. "Why don't you show your face?" Link suggested.

The hooded man grabbed his hood and hesitated for a moment. Then he took off the hood. Malon basically turned to stone upon seeing the man, and Ingo gasped audibly.

"Dad..." Malon muttered.

Talon smiled uneasily. "Yeah, it's me." Malon wrapped her arms around him and he held her, finally reunited with his daughter again. "I'm so glad to see you again! I...I thought you were dead," Malon said, almost crying.

"I wouldn't die on you, ever. Besides, I promised you'd see me again," Talon said. When they parted, Talon looked at Ingo, who stared at the ground.

"Ingo," Talon said, and Ingo looked up.

For a moment the men looked in each other's eyes awkwardly, then Ingo spoke. "Talon...I..."

Talon cut him off. "You don't have to apologize, my friend. Link told me about the curse. Your initial betrayal I've forgiven long ago. I would have done the same, I'm sure. Fear of death makes you act in ways you can't imagine beforehand. He just chose you because of your eternal envy of me."

Ingo bowed his head in gratitude and simply said, "Thank you..."

Malon turned to Link. "How did you find dad?"

"I was in Kakariko Village, looking for a place to spend the night. I ran into him in the Inn. Of course, I explained the situation and asked him to come back here with me after I finished my business there," he said, like it was no big deal at all. "Talon could've gotten here quicker, I just asked him to wait for me."

Malon chuckled. "So that you would get all the honor? How modest of you," she mocked him.

"Modesty was never Link's strong point," Navi said, joining forces with Malon.

"Well, throw me in prison for it," Link said quasi-indignantly.

"People," Talon said, gaining everyone's attention. "Despite these harsh times, today is a happy day for all of us here. Therefore I suggest that we have ourselves a celebration tonight. Everyone here has earned some relaxation." Talon's words were greeted with cheers from everyone, and that night the dining room of the Lon Lon Ranch was noisier than ever.

Link showed off his Hookshot, the grappling hook he had retrieved from the ghost of Dampé the gravekeeper. Talon told how he had ended up in Kakariko after wandering about for days, without food. Ingo made his apologies about a million times, and swore he would work hard from now on. And Malon just listened to all the stories, happier than she had been in a long time.

The weeks after that, Talon, Malon and Ingo worked hard to restore the ranch to its former glory. Their hard work was already beginning to pay off, as the horses were back to peak condition and the cows started to give more milk again. Link sometimes dropped by, but most of the time he was away, awakening the Sages that would help him restore peace to Hyrule.

He had destroyed Volvagia, the dragon that resided in Death Mountain, and in the process caused the largest eruption in a long time. When the eruption took place, Malon had been worried that Link might've been killed, but just a day later he showed up, telling her not to worry about him.

Now, Link had just returned from the last temple, the Spirit Temple that lay in the desert, beyond the Haunted Wasteland. He had awakened all the Sages and was ready to head for the final battle with Ganondorf. Malon was with him as he sat on a bale of hay, tense, but not overly nervous. "It's almost time, isn't it?" she asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah. Soon, this'll all be over. Ganondorf knows the Sages have been awakened. His army stands ready at the drawbridge. You've seen it too, I guess."

Malon nodded. When she gazed over to the Castle, she saw the legions of Stalfos, Dinolfos and Iron Knuckles that stood in orderly rows before the drawbridge to the Market.

"How will you get past them?" she asked.

Link grinned wickedly. "I have an army as well. They should be here in a few hours. The Gerudo Thieves from the desert want to overthrow Ganondorf too. He kidnapped their leader because she's a Sage. They agreed to help me storm the Castle. Also, the civil militia of Kakariko will join us. They've been preparing since I left there, and on my signal they'll come to our aid."

Malon was awestruck. She hadn't expected Link to form an army against Ganondorf. "So...the entire Gerudo army will show up here in a few hours?" she asked increduously.

"Yeah. I already told Talon and he understood the necessity of this. I need a disciplined force to fight Ganondorf's armies. The Kakariko militia are tenacious, but too few in number and they aren't trained well enough. They'll join in the fight when the Gerudo have already engaged in battle," Link said.

Before Malon could reply, she felt the ground shake in marching rhythm. From the southwest, the Gerudo army approached. Most of the desert thieves were clad in purple, but their commanders wore red and wielded dual scimitars. They stopped their advance at the ranch, and gazed in the distance towards Ganondorf's forces.

The Gerudo leaders came onto the terrain of the ranch and Link got up and walked over to them. Malon watched him as Link explained his plans. She saw him gesture and nod, at times pointing at a map the Gerudo leader was holding. Malon realized that even though she hadn't really noticed it from his behavior, Link had really matured. He was acting like a well trained general, the way he gave orders to an entire army.

After about twenty minutes of conversation, The Gerudo leaders saluted Link and marched back to their army to relay Link's orders.

Link walked over to Malon and said, "This is it. The Gerudo are here far sooner than I expected, so it's finally time to end this war. I haven't had the time to ask, so I'll ask you now. Do you want to fight as well? Talon and Ingo are going, and you are definitely not a fragile little girl."

Malon wasn't prepared for that question. Somehow, she had expected Link to tell her to stay at the ranch and be careful. "I want to fight," she said.

Link nodded. "As I thought. Well then, go to Talon and tell him you'll come." He chuckled. "I knew from the start that I couldn't tell you to stay put, and Talon knew that as well. The three of you will be going to Kakariko for equipment. There, you'll wait with the militia for the signal from the Gerudo. After that...just don't get hurt," he finished.

Malon smiled. "I won't, if you promise me you won't get hurt either," she said.

"I promise," Link said, smiling back.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," Navi said from beside Link's head.

"I'm sure you will. Good luck..." Malon said, looking at her Goron Bracelet.

Link nodded confidently. "We'll be fine. Now, it's time. I'll see you after the battle." With that, he mounted Epona and rode off.

Malon went over to Talon and Ingo, who had already prepared a horse for her.

"We knew you were coming," Talon said. "Get on, we have to reach Kakariko before the main forces reach Ganondorf's army."

Malon nodded and got on the horse. "Let's move!"

The three ranchers rode off to the east, and Malon looked over her shoulder to see the Gerudo army, headed by Link, start its advance on the legions of death that awaited.

Talon, Malon and Ingo reached Kakariko fairly quickly, and were greeted by the militia. The militia consisted of the braver civilians in Kakariko, who had equipped themselves with swords, shields and armor from the Hylian army, courtesy of Impa.

The three ranchers were given equipment as well, and Malon noted with delight that no one questioned her presence there. The militia headed out of the village, coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs out of Kakariko. Malon felt everyone's tension, and she was pretty nervous herself.

From the back of her horse, she could see the Gerudo army and Ganondorf's legions. It wouldn't be long before the armies would clash, and then the signal would sound, beckoning the militia to attack. Then the advance guard of the Gerudo reached the first lines of monsters, and the battle had begun.

The Gerudo army charged, breaking the lines of monsters and starting a huge melee. Somewhere from the battlefield, a loud horn sounded.

The militia leader gave a signal, and Malon knew that it was now her time to fight. The militia attacked Ganondorf's army from the unguarded flank and did decent damage before the monsters reorganized and started to fight back.

Malon drew her sword and charged, cutting through a Dinolfos as it tried to throw her off her horse. The battle was a blur to her, all she knew was that she had to keep pressing forward and slay all the monsters. After what seemed like an eternity, she ended up right in front of the drawbridge. The chains that had held it up had been cut with powerful magic. The battle was far from over though.

In the Market, she saw the terrifying ReDead. Slowly, they advanced. If they could reach the battlefield and use their paralyzing shrieks this battle could turn ugly.

Gathering her courage, Malon charged at the ReDead. When she had cut down all but one, she was hit by the blast of sound from the last 'living' ReDead. She fell off her horse and tried to get up. When she regained her senses, it was on top of her. In her fear, she just hacked away with her sword, and by sheer luck she decapitated the zombie that had almost sucked out her life.

She sat for a moment, recovering from the struggle. Her horse had run away, terrified by the shriek of the ReDead. Malon got up, and it was then she heard a huge, thundering roar, coming from the Castle. She ran there, only to stumble across a hellish scene. There was no castle, only a few remaining walls, surrounded by a ring of fire. On an edge, she saw a person in a pink dress, who she assumed to be Princess Zelda. Several seconde later, she noticed a sword, standing at an angle in the ground near Zelda. To her shock she saw that it was the Master Sword.

"LINK!" She yelled as loud as she possibly could.

As if by magic, the wall of fire extinguished. Now she was able to see more clearly what was behind the flames. She saw a huge beast, kneeling in the dust. It held two large javelins, but it seemed at a loss. Zelda fired some weird magic at it, keeping the monster down. And then, from behind the behemoth, Link emerged. He dashed for the Master Sword and pulled it from the dirt.

Malon couldn't believe her eyes. Link had brought down that huge beast? It seemed impossible. Link strode back to the beast and stood before its head. The Master Sword glowed with the power to defeat the monster once and for all. Link slashed across the beast's face twice, and as a finisher, he rammed the Master Sword in the beast's throat.

The monster went berserk, and around it, seemingly from nowhere, six people, enveloped in glowing light, appeared. They summoned brightly colored balls of energy and aimed it at the monster. When the balls of magic converged, the world was bathed in a brilliant whit light. Malon averted her eyes so as not to be blinded. When she looked again, the ruins of the catle were empty. Everyone, including Link and Zelda, were gone.

"Link!" Malon yelled. "Link! Where are you?!"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

But Link wasn't in Hyrule at that moment. He was in a blue sky, filled with fluffy white clouds. He stood before Zelda.

"At last, the world is free from Ganondorf's evil reign. You, Link, the Hero of Time, you have brought peace to Hyrule once again," Zelda said.

"I couldn't have done it without the Sages, or the selfless actions of the Gerudo tribe," Link replied. "They are heroes just as much as I am."

Zelda smiled. "It is time for you to be rewarded for all your efforts. Give me the Ocarina of Time. As a Sage, I can return you to your own time with it. You'll be able to live the years you lost,' she said, holding up her hand.

Link retrieved the Ocarina, but didn't give it to Zelda right away. "I'll give you the Ocarina, after all it's yours, not mine. But...I want to stay in this time. If I go back, I'll lose so much..." he said.

Zelda cocked her head. "Link, if you stay here you will have lost seven years of your life; seven years that you can never replace."

Link smiled. "I've found something that's worth the sacrifice of seven years," he said.

"What, then?" Zelda asked, confused.

"You know. If you look inside your heart, you will know. I don't want to go back to my own time. My reward is the peace that our work has brought upon Hyrule."

Zelda nodded, though not wholeheartedly. "I see. In that case, I will not force you. For now, our ways must part. It will be up to you to announce the victory we had today. I have to go to the Chamber of Sages, first," she said.

Link replied, "I understand. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

He handed her the Ocarina of Time and Zelda started playing. Link was encased in a blue crystal and the blue sky darkened for a few moments, before clearing again. Link felt himself descending.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Malon saw the column of light appear in the sky and ran over to it. Link floated down in it, and stepped out of the light.

"Link! I...I thought you were gone," Malon said, wrapping her arms around him.

He held her and said, "I don't vanish that easily."

For a while he just held her, and the he started to say, "Malon, I-"

Before he could finish, however, Malon had kissed him, and he was kissing her back. He held her tightly and he swore that he could feel her heartbeat as they just stood there. After a long time they broke the kiss.

"-love you," Link finished his sentence.

Malon smiled. "I love you too, Link."

"Well, it's about time," Navi said, and both Link and Malon laughed. They kissed again, not as long this time, but more passionate.

"Let's go tell the others we won. I'm sure they'll be glad to see us," Link said.

"I hope everyone's okay," Malon said, worried about her father and Ingo.

"I'm sure they're fine. They just needed to hold the monsters off, distract them. I explicitly told them to back up and think of their safety, and that of their allies, before anything else if they got in trouble," Link said.

They crossed the empty Market and walked over the drawbridge. The entire army had assembled in front of it. Link raised his sword high, and as the light of the setting sun reflected off it, a huge cheer went through the army. Malon felt a chill run down her spine. This was the moment all of Hyrule had been waiting for for seven years. The threat was finally over. The war had been won.

Link adressed the crowd. "Ganondorf is gone! He has been sealed inside the Sacred Realm forever, and Hyrule is finally rid of his plague. As you have noticed, his monsters have fallen apart now that his dark sorcery no longer taints the land. Friends, we have won! Despite the hardship we have faced, Hyrule is finally a free land again. Now, I suggest we all head over to Lon Lon Ranch, and the portions of Hyrule Field in its direct vicinity, and have the largest party in the history of Hyrule!"

This suggestion was greeted by loud cheers, and soon everyone, from all towns, villages and cities in Hyrule had gathered on the field around the Lon Lon Ranch. Talon and Ingo were steaming drunk before it was even midnight, and they were swaying left and right with their hand over each other's shoulders.

Link was constantly swarmed by people who wanted to know how he had beaten Ganondorf and Malon laughed as Link ran around the horse pen, followed by his new fans.

As it became later and people were getting more and more drunk, Link and Malon snuck into the hayloft. Link turned to Navi and said, "Hey um...I was hoping I could have some time with Malon, you know...just the two of us."

Navi giggled in a knowing tone and said, "Sure."

She flew off and Link muttered, "I wonder what kind of weird ideas she has now."

Malon chuckled and said, "Who cares. Let her have her warped imagination."

Link sighed and lay back. "I guess it's okay. Finally we're alone. It seems like forever since we last had some time to ourselves," he said.

Malon lay next to him and said, "Yeah, but we'll have lots of time from now on, won't we? I mean, the evil is gone, and life will continue as it always does. If you want, you could work here on the ranch when you're not off defending freedom."

Link smiled. "I guess I'll stay here as a farmhand, then. Not much world-saving to do anymore, fortunately," he said.

Malon moved a little closer to him and said, "If I were you, I'd try to get some sleep. We can talk about everything tomorrow, but we've had a hard day and I'm sure you're tired."

Link looked away and turned a little red. "You'll stay here, right?" he asked.

Malon laughed. "Yes, fairy boy, I'll stay here. I think my dad won't mind. Even if he does, he's so drunk he won't wake up before noon anyway."

Link turned his head and looked into Malon's dark blue eyes. They hadn't changed at all over the years, he noticed. "I haven't heard you calling me fairy boy in a long time," he said.

Malon's smile widened. "I know. You don't mind, do you?"

Link stretched out, lay on his back, and said, "No, I don't mind. Even when I'm eighty, I'll still be the same fairy boy as seven years ago." And then, for the first time in seven years, Malon and Link slept peacefully.

**The end**

**Well, hope you liked it. R&R please, your opinion is always appreciated. Flaming is okay, but at least give me a reason so that I can do something about it. Also, I'm sorry about any typos, my spell checker is still dead. Even though I read it through several times, I might have left some in. **


End file.
